


The Fran Bow Syndrome

by Dray_life



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Good Draco Malfoy, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Not Beta Read, Not What It Looks Like, Oblivious Draco Malfoy, Past Child Abuse, Post-War, Sad Harry Potter, St Mungo's Hospital, Suicidal Draco Malfoy, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:00:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21977719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dray_life/pseuds/Dray_life
Summary: The Fran Bow Syndrome is a mental illness from the wizarding world. The first time it appeared was in 1940. A little girl, named Fran Bow Dagenhart, a muggle born how we later found out, developed this illness after her parents died at an accidental magic outburst of hers. Since none of the muggles could explain her symptoms, she was put into a muggle asylum. According to her medical record, Fran claimed that she could see dark shadowy figures that loomed over every human being she saw and the humans themselves would look scary, distorted and some were even displayed dead. Until today nobody could find something to heal the Syndrome completely, the only thing we really know is that most muggle medicine and even some potions can worsen the effect of the symptoms...But what if Harry can find a cure?
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	1. Check in

**Author's Note:**

> well hello lovely humans! This is my first ever fanfiction and it is in a language i don't natively speak. Aren't I a genius? If you find spelling issues please tell me :) Have fun reading this!

“The Fran Bow Syndrome is a mental illness from the wizarding world. The first time it appeared was in 1940, where it got its name from. A little girl, named Fran Bow Dagenhart, a muggle born how we later found out, developed this illness after her parents died at an accidental magic outburst of hers. Since none of the muggles could explain her symptoms, she was put into a muggle asylum. According to her medical record, Fran claimed that she could see dark shadowy figures that loomed over every human being she saw and the humans themselves would look scary, distorted and some were even displayed dead. She also said that she could speak to a creature she called Itward and that it would come by sometimes to see her. It is described to be a skeleton with a suit and a hat like a cylinder. Fran died when she broke out of the Asylum because she tried to find her cat. Patients that developed the same syndrome claim that sometimes they can see a cat’s tail that disappears around corners and objects. Until today nobody could find something to heal the Syndrome completely, the only thing we really know is that most muggle medicine and even some potions can worsen the effect of the symptoms. Mostly children develop the syndrome. They had to have endured some kind of trauma to develop the syndrome. It is mostly unheard of but sometimes teenagers or even young adults get this illness as well…” I heard from the room we walked by.

Two healers stood in the room and talked to I assumed their trainees, though I couldn’t see the patient. I didn’t really care who it was because I would be out of here in no time. But just in case I didn’t I kinda wanted to make sure that I knew with what people I would have to deal. The nurse or what ever they were called here in the wizarding world smiled sympathetically at me as she showed me my room. I hated when they would give me these looks. Me, the savior of the wizarding world, being in the mental ward of St. Mungos. As if I was sick. Because I wasn’t. Hermione just wanted to make sure. I would be out here in no time when the healers noticed that everything was okay. I was just a little cautious but who wouldn’t be when they were followed by Deatheaters and Voldemort their whole life. I looked around warily when the nurse left me alone finally. Plain white walls with no pictures or posters. A boring looking table and an uncomfortable looking bed. As I looked around, I noticed tears coming up. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to go home to Grimmauld place. I wanted to lay down in my bed. I even missed Kreacher. “Mr. Potter? If you don’t want to unpack now you can do that tonight before bedtime and look around now. We have a nice common room where the other patients are too. You can look around, talk to them and make friends if you want. Your family the Weasleys will come around tomorrow they already flooed.” I turned around and saw another nurse looking at me. She had brown hair put into a bun on top of her head and green eyes just like mine. She also had a pretty face and wore the white dress all the female nurses wore. I nodded shortly and followed her as she smiled at me. “Do you want us to call your Mr. Potter or Harry? We always ask that to make everyone comfortable. You can call me Mary by the way.” She said. She seemed nicer than the other Nurse that brought me in here. “You can call me Harry, thank you Mary.” I said shortly and looked round the hall again as we walked. All the walls were white, just a few paintings would be planted on the walls. And despite these paintings it looked stark. When we came into the common room, I looked around again. All the walls wee white except one that was black. It seemed to be one of those walls where you could write on with chalk. That was kinda odd because I recalled it being a muggle thing, but I didn’t really care. Some of the Patients stood at the wall and drew at it. There where flowers, people and even writing on there. At the other side of the room there where two couches and a bookshelf. “We just have five other patients here at the moment. At our chalk wall there are Martin, Damian and Sam. Olivia is the only girl here and she is in her room now. And over there I think you already know him from your time at Hogwarts is our lovely Draco.” She pointed to one of the couches. When I looked over, I couldn’t really believe my eyes at first. Sitting there was Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. His hair was still short as ever but not gelled back like he had his hair at school. It was falling into his eyes, but he didn’t pull it back. He looked over at us for a short moment and then let his look glide over to the window again. He wore a plain white shirt and grey…joggers? Draco Malfoy was wearing Muggle clothing. Am I sure I am really not dreaming? “…Harry?” Mary the nurse asked. “Hm? Sorry what was that?” I asked. She chuckled shortly and pointed at Draco again. “You could sit next to him, maybe talk a little bit and later he could show you the room we are eating in.” She said. When I nodded at her, still a little stunned, she smiled at me again and then left the room.

Feeling a little bit unsure I walked over to Malfoy. “Mary is nice isn’t she? I really like her. She is the only one who really cares about me except maybe the healers and their trainees.” He said without looking away from the window. I looked at him for some time before sitting down on the couch next to him. “What are you looking at?” I asked because I couldn’t really see anything outside the window except a little pond in the back garden and a nurse with an old witch in a muggle wheelchair. “Somethings moving in that pond and I can’t really see what it is from here…” he answered me and I tried to see what he meant but nothing was moving in there. It was a tiny pond without fishes or anything. I couldn’t even see frogs. “I can’t see anything.” I said. He nodded. “I know…” I hesitated a moment before talking again. “So…Malfoy…why are you here? I heard your parents were put into Azkaban, but the daily prophet didn’t mention anything about you. Many people wondered about that because normally they write about anything. “The Aurors forbid them to write about me.” He murmured still looking at the pond. “But why? Hermione and me tried to get to you because we thought they would just throw you into Azkaban but they blocked us and didn’t let us see you or help you. And now I find you here. What happened to you?” At my words he looked over at me for the first time. His grey eyes were dull, the storm in them I remembered from school was gone. And again, I wondered what might have happened to him in the year nobody could find him. Well apparently, he was here all the time so he wasn’t really gone. “Why would you look for me? And why did you two want to help me? Why would you even have cared?” He asked and for the first time I could see emotions in his eyes. He was wondering, waiting for my answer. “You saved our lives back at the Manor because you didn’t rat me out to Voldemort and then you even let go of the wands. We didn’t want you to just be thrown into Azkaban.” I answered him. He looked at me for a long time, so long in fact that I started to think that he was gone in his mind when he started to smile at me. It was odd seeing Draco Malfoy smile especially it being directed at me, but it felt good at the same time. Anybody rarely smiled at me genuinely all they did was look at me concerned or smiling at me with pity in their eyes. Because they thought I was ill. But I wasn’t. “I’m here because I have the Fran Bow Syndrome. Do you know what that is?” He asked me. I wanted to shake my head before I remembered that the Healer talked about it when I first came in here. Malfoy must have been the patient in the room. So I nodded. “Well if you know you probably know why I am here. I mean its pretty obvious.” He said. I nodded again. “Yeah well…” I said. Draco looked out of the Window again, his eyes focused on the Pond. “I will be out here pretty fast again. I mean Hermione said I’m ill, but I am not. Once the Healers realize that I can go home.” I told him and he looked at me again after a few moments. “I thought the same thing when I came here first.” He said smiling. “But I think hoping is a good thing. I hope you get out of here fast.” Malfoy finished. I started smiling too. “Thank you, Malfoy.” I said. “Call me Draco please.” He said. “Okay…Draco, Thank you.” That sounded weird. Hopefully I would get used to that.

“Come on we should go to the dining room. It should be time for Dinner in a few Minutes.” Mal- Draco said. Damnit. I’m gonna get used to it in some time. He stood up and I quickly followed him through the room, through the ward to the last door on the left. Draco sat down on a table at the big Window. I looked around shortly. The room looked like every other room in this ward except this time there were tables and chairs instead of couches or beds. I walked over to Draco and sat down across from him. He was looking out the Window again. You couldn’t really see the Pond from this Room but a little bit more of the Garden. There were some Flowers and a large area of grass where you could just sit or play or something. I followed Draco’s gaze and he looked at nothing in the middle of the grass. Well apparently he saw something there. I looked up from the Window when a few Nurses came in bringing the other Patients and Plates with Food for everyone. Two plates where set in front of us. “The Weasleys are going to visit tomorrow. When are the visiting times?” I asked Malfoy as I started eating. It seemed to be some kind of tomato soup. “I think it was some time around 2 pm but I’m not really sure sorry you’d have to ask a Nurse or a Healer.” He said as he too started eating. “Don’t you get visitors?” I asked. “Not really. Sometimes Aurors come here to ask me about some Deatheater they’re after but that’s it.” He answered, his gaze going out the window again. My gaze followed his again and silence came over us.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the next day and Draco sat at the same couch and on the exact same spot looking out the window as yesterday. It was as if he had never even moved. Did he do this every day? I asked myself while walking towards him and sitting next to him again. Will every day be like this? No, No, it won’t because I will be out of here by tomorrow, I reminded myself. “Good Morning Harry…You don’t happen to have your wand, do you?” Draco greeted me without looking up. “Uh…Draco everyone gets their wand taken away when coming here.” I said confused as to what he wanted with one. “Oh…Right. I just thought maybe they made an exception for the savior of the wizarding world.” I shook my head and he sighed looking out of the window again. “What exactly do you want with a wand here Draco? I mean what do you want to do with it?” I asked watching him. He wore his white shirt and the joggers again. I wore almost the same with the only difference that my joggers were black. It seemed to be the normal ´uniform´ for the Patients. “I want to vanish this window.” Draco startled me out of my thoughts. I frowned. “What? You want to do what?” I must have heard wrong. “I want to vanish this window.” Draco said again looking pretty sure of himself. “What for?” I asked him still confused as hell. “I don’t want to see this thing in the pond anymore. I can’t figure out what it is, and it is making me crazy.” He answered my question.  
“Why don’t you just stop looking at it and sit somewhere else?” I asked further questions. I just couldn’t understand. “But what if it is something dangerous? What if it attacks someone and I didn’t say anything and just ignored it?” Draco asked and looked at me questioningly. “Draco…it is probably just your syndrome because I don’t see anything.” I said looking at him a little worried. Suddenly Draco looked disturbed. “Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not real! Just think of Thestrals!” He said enraged. I thought about his words for some time. While I came to the conclusion that he was probably right Draco seemed to calm down again slightly. “I’m sorry…I’m just… nobody really seems to believe me that I really see these things. The healers just…they are just interested in the syndrome and not in me. I mean they don’t realize that I really see these horrible things they ask me about…sometimes I think they don’t really care….” Draco cast his look down and seemed to be deeply in thought. I watched his face contort into different emotions. He seemed to regret telling me this information. When he looked up again, I cautiously smiled at him. “Sometimes I think that I will wake up one morning inside my cupboard at the Dursleys home and that I just dreamed all this life up.” I said to make him feel better.   
It seemed to work. A small smile appeared on his pale lips. “A cupboard? I think I got a few things wrong about your childhood.” He said still smiling the bite from our time at school still not present. Was this even the Draco Malfoy I met at Hogwarts? I didn’t really think so. We were still looking and smiling at each other when Mary approached us. “Hey, you two sorry to interrupt but your family is here Harry.” She said smiling at us. I threw one last glance at Draco before standing up. He smiled at me one last time before his gaze swayed over to the Pond again. “Ill see you at group therapy Harry.” He said. I smiled at him even though he couldn’t see it and turned to Mary who was watching us interact, smiling. “Where do I meet them?” I asked her and she led me to a room I wasn’t in before.  
It was across from the dining room and If I remembered correctly the door was closed all the time I was here. When I looked around it looked almost exactly like every other room and especially like the common room with the only exception that It was smaller. Molly and Arthur Weasley looked up from their place at the window and Hermione and Ron jumped up from the couch they had been sitting on. Ginny stayed where she was. “Harry! How are you? We are so sorry that we put you here but…” “Mione let him breathe.” Arthur interrupted Miones tirade. While she talked, she had run to me and hugged me. I didn’t really like the feeling. When Hermione let go of me and I could breathe again it was only for a moment before Molly was there to strangle me too. I gave a little strangled noise when it became too much and after a moment Molly let go of me again. I looked at all of them for a moment. “When are we going home?” I asked then. Their looks turned from sad to sympathetic. “Harry…You didn’t even talk to the psychiatrist yet. We should wait for the diagnosis first.” While listening to Hermione’s explanations I felt panic grow inside me and something restricting my breathing. “But…I can’t stay here. I need to go home to take care of grimmauld place, water my plants and…I want to sleep in my own bed.” I felt myself being close to tears. Ron came over to me. “Hey...Hey Harry! Calm down. You’re going to be home so fast you wont even remember you were here. You just need to start talking with this psychiatrist and if they give you medicine you take it and your doing what they tell you and then you’ll be out of here in just a week or two I swear mate!” Ron put a Hand on my shoulder and I looked at him with tears clouding my vision. “But who will water my Plant? And who will take care of Kreacher and who…?”  
Hermione interrupted me again. “Harry we will do all that. Nothing is going to happen to your house because we will take care of it okay?” I looked at all the people in the room and everyone looked at me seriously and nodded. Everyone except Ginny. She never really talked to me since the war, since I ended our relationship even though I explained to her why I did it. And after the war I couldn’t just return to normal because everything that happened was just so…it just made everything different. I was different. Ginny was different too. I looked at her while she kept looking down, completely ignoring my presence in the room. Even though she didn’t talk to me she was always there when Hermione and the Weasley family visited me. I couldn’t make sense out of it. Maybe she thought I would change my mind and we could be together again I didn’t know. I nodded to myself and sat down on the Couch nearest the window. Just like Draco always did. I wiped over my eyes to get rid of the tears before they could escape. Hermione and Ron sat down beside me and Molly and Arthur sat down across from me.   
…  
I walked down the hall away from my family and my friends and back into this strange bubble with just Draco Malfoy to talk to. It was strange that just after a day I felt relaxed talking and sitting with him. Before I came here I never really felt relaxed, even when I was at the burrow or alone at home just watching tv. I didn’t really like going outside either because it made me nervous, the people made me nervous because they stared at me or even tried to take pictures of me or asked for an autograph. When it got too much I stopped going outside. But now I did feel relaxed again because here nobody would ask me all these things about the war or to sign on their breasts or even just to take a picture again. Here there was just Draco and Mary and people who completely ignored me. Here I wasn’t just the savior of the wizarding world the famous boy who lived twice, here I wasn’t the famous harry potter. Here I was just Harry. The only place I would rather be was my bedroom in Grimmauld place.  
As I walked into the common room again, I saw that Draco still sat on his usual place. That was odd because by now he should head off to his therapy lesson as well. I walked over to him and hesitantly put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey Draco. Are you coming? We should head to our therapy lessons. Hey…you there?“ I asked. He didn’t respond. I shook his shoulder a little bit and tried to get his attention, but he seemed to be completely gone. I started to panic by the time the Healers and Nurses noticed that something was wrong. I felt them pull me away from Draco, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. My breathing was ragged and I felt like I was run over by a herd of hippogriffs.   
Draco looked like he wasn’t even breathing anymore and he stared straight ahead. “What’s wrong with him?” nobody seemed to pay attention to me. I saw Mary in the group of people running around the room. “Mary what is going on? Is he even breathing?!” Mary looked up at me, she seemed to be stressed and nervous which caused my stomach to turn slightly. “Harry you should go to your room, I will come by later to tell you everything okay?” Before I could say anything, Draco started screaming and when we looked over it looked like there was blood running down from his eyes like tears. His whole body shook violently and his muscles seemed to be spasming. Horrified, but not able to do anything I watched the Healers and Nurses work on him with spells to silence and calm him before they levitated him into the air and rushed with him out of the room. Then I stood there alone in the common room the screams of Draco still ringing inside my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry to end this chapter with a cliffhanger i didnt intend to but my story wrote itself this time :) If you have ideas, questions or criticism i would like to hear from you in the comments! I dont really know when the next chapter is going to be up but i will try my best to hurry up. Have a good day folks :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New year you all! This chapter is not as long as the others because I have problems with my Computer. Anyway I am glad I got this ready now. Have fun reading it. :)

I stood numbly there, watching as the Healers rushed from the entrance to the ward through it to Draco’s room and back to get more people. I couldn’t even count how many people where in the room at the moment. I felt horrified, watching, not knowing what was going on. Draco was the only person i knew here. The only thing keeping me on the ground because he was familiar. He was the only thing that was familiar to me in here. What would i do if he died? Because who knows what can happen with that syndrome? Nobody really knew anything about this and maybe these things Draco saw are they really just hallucinations? Maybe they were real and they killed Draco and nobody would ever know about it because they didn’t know these things were real. Suddenly there was a weight on my shoulder. It was a Hand. There was a Hand on my shoulder.  
I blinked and then looked at Mary. She stood before me, looked at me really serious and her lips were moving. Her lips were moving? Oh she talked to me. I blinked again and started noticing that my eyes were wet and my breathing was ragged. I was having a panic attack. "...down Harry breathe with me please. Are you even hearing me?" I nodded and she started helping me with my breathing. After a few minutes i came down again and she started nodding. "Okay that’s good Harry and now you will take this potion and go to bed." "And Draco? What’s with Draco? Is he really hurt? All the Healers and everyone...!" "Hey! Hey Harry...keep calm okay? Everything’s going to be fine" She said as she held the potions bottle to my lips. I started drinking the potion and immediately I felt calmer than before. "The first thing we do when you wake up is go over to Draco so you can see that he is okay." She assured me and I nodded slowly. My eyes began to droop and I started feeling really tired. Mary brought me to my room where I stumbled to the bed and fell asleep as soon as I lay on the bed.   
...

Draco Pov   
When I woke up I was alone in my room. Well at least there were no humans in my room. In the furthest corner of my bedroom there was a big shadow. Its red eyes looked directly at me and its mouth was full of sharp teeth. It leered at me and I thought on its teeth there were traces of blood. It licked its lips and continued staring at me. I could feel its breath on my face even though it was relatively far away. I stared at it for some time, too scared to move but eventually I stood up slowly because its breath seemed to become ragged as if it lusted after my flesh. Well the blood on its teeth said everything. I slowly started walking to the door of my room. While I walked the breath of the creature got louder and it seemed to be coming towards me. As fast as I could I stormed out of the room feeling the grasp of it brush me. That was really close. The creature didn’t follow me out of the room though.  
I wanted to sigh out of relief but then I saw the rest of the ward. There was blood dripping down the wall and hanging in the doorway of the nurses’ room was Mary. She seemed to be dead for some time. The rope around her neck was black and she was so pale, even paler than me. Her Body didn’t move at all except the slight swinging in a breeze. It was so cold. I shivered and looked around further. All the doors from the rooms were closed and I couldn’t here a noise except the dripping of the blood from the wall when it hit the floor. I didn’t know what to do and there was a lump forming inside my throat. Then suddenly Itward looked around the corner of an open door that wasn’t opened before.  
I looked at him and he showed me a sign to come closer. Then he disappeared around the corner. I walked after him and looked inside the room. The room was clean and looked normal. There was someone lying in the bed, sleeping. I walked up to the bed and saw that in the bed laying there sleeping peacefully was Harry Potter. This was Harry´s room. I sat down at the end of the Bed and looked around further. No blood, no creatures and no danger. Itward was standing at the door, without saying a word he saluted and closed the door behind himself as he vanished again. "Thank you Itward..." I whispered into the darkness of the room as I fell asleep, calm for once.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry this took so long. The problems with my computer is solved and I can write again. If you have questions or even suggestions of things you want to see you can leave a comment and I will gladly answer or work your ideas into this. :) Have a good day! :)

Harry PoV  
When I woke up I wasn’t alone. I opened my eyes slowly and sat up. A white blond head was lying next to me. Draco. What was he doing here? Why was he lying beside me? When my mind came into full consciousness and I remembered what had happened the night before I was all over Draco immediately. He seemed to be ok. At least he wasn’t bleeding anymore and he didn’t seem to be in pain. Draco slept peacefully. I watched him for a little bit. All my worries from last night slowly poured out of me and though I couldn’t get rid of them completely at least at this moment they were out of my mind. While I was trapped in my thoughts I didn’t notice that Draco woke up. I only noticed it when I heard him chuckle. I looked up and our eyes met. His eyes were full of life again, the dullness from yesterday were gone. I smiled at him when I noticed he smiled at me too. “How...When did you get in here?” I asked him. “Must have been after midnight...I think...I don’t really know. I wasn’t feeling so good and I everywhere were these monsters again so Itward showed me the way here. Come on it should be time for breakfast any moment now.” He sat up and stretched. I stood up from the bed and started to get my clothes to get dressed. We started getting dressed in silence when something came to my mind. “Where is Lockhart? I didn’t notice before but shouldn’t he be here?” I asked Draco suddenly curious. He started laughing shortly and as he did I noticed again how he wasn’t the same person as in Hogwarts anymore. “Lockhart is not here anymore. They shipped him to America because they have a ward there specifically for memory loss through accidents like these. I don’t know the name of it anymore though.” I nodded along as he spoke and waited for him while he finished dressing. Mary must have put his clothes here. “Come on Harry lets go to breakfast. You should eat before your first appointment.” Draco said as he grabbed my wrist and led me to the dining room.   
...  
“How are you feeling today Harry?” I just shrugged. I didn’t know what to say to her. Dr. Grant. I didn’t even know her. Iona Grant my new psychologist she introduced herself as just minutes before. I felt uncomfortable knowing that she knew my name not only because I was harry Potter the boy who lived but also because she read my medical record. She looked at me for a long time before she adjusted her sitting position. “Harry...I assume I am allowed to call you that right?” I nodded shortly still not looking at her. “Harry. Since your here for the first time let’s just get to know each other okay? Or do you want to talk about anything?” She suggested. I shrugged again. “Let’s just get to know each other then.” She said. After a moment of silence she started talking again. “Should I begin?” I nodded. If I knew more about her maybe I could make sense of her. And maybe I wouldn’t feel so uncomfortable anymore.   
...  
Exhausted I exited the room without saying goodbye to Dr. Grant. I closed the door after me and looked around until I found a magical clock hanging on the Wall over the exit of the ward. The numbers were hovering in the air there. It was almost time for Lunch. I didn’t really feel hungry but I didn’t want to leave Draco alone either. Most of the other Patients were on a trip today, when I asked Mary told me that usually we would be with them too but because of the Incident Draco had they didn’t want to let him go outside and because I wasn’t here long enough. And she said that I probably wouldn’t want to leave Draco alone anyway. She was right. I would never have left Draco alone after what had happened yesterday. And that’s where I was heading now: Draco. I entered the common room and stopped abruptly. Hermione, Ron and Arthur were standing in the middle of the room, looking around uncomfortably. Draco was sitting in his corner of the room, again staring out of the window and as much as I loved my family at this moment I wished they would go away so I could sit next to Draco and listen to his meanless ramblings. While I was still lost in thought Hermione and Ron noticed that I entered the room. “Harry! How are you?” I sighed. That stupid question. Our talks were always about my feelings lately. They didn’t talk to me anymore about any other topic. I didn’t even know what was going on in their lifes anymore. I shrugged suddenly feeling even more tired than before. My gaze slipped over to Draco who looked over at me with a small smile before looking back out the window again. It made me feel better. Arthur seemed to have noticed the smile too. He came over to me and Ron and Hermione followed. “Is that Malfoy? At the Ministry nobody knows where he is and his records are lost. He never had his Death eater trial. What is he doing here?” “Draco is here for almost a year now. He said something about Aurors dumping him here.” Arthur, Ron and Hermione started frowning and I silently agreed to them. I did sound really strange. Something was wrong there. “I’m going to investigate that. It sounds like something was swept under the rug there.” Ron nodded. His hate for Slytherins vanished some time ago when Ginny started dating Blaise Zabini for some time. I still noticed how much we grew up at this moment. A few years ago Ron would have protested and said something like letting the death eater rot in here and I probably would have agreed with him. But now it was different. We were adults now. I wanted to talk to them for a little bit but suddenly Draco stood beside me. He was staring ahead as if he didn’t really see us. He probably didn’t. “It’s time for dinner Harry. They won’t wait for us and if we hurry up we are there before the others come back from their trip. Then we have all the food for us.” He already started walking while he was still speaking. I smiled involuntarily. “We are going then Harry. Have a good evening Harry, Malfoy” Hermione said smiling at me. “Good night Granger, Weasleys.” Draco’s voice came from the corridor. I said goodbye to them and then hurried back after Draco.


	5. Chapter 5

The thought struck Harry as he walked behind Draco heading for breakfast again. He was here for almost a month now. And things were fine. They settled into a routine for a while now. Normally they would meet in the morning in the common room, sit for a little bit and then go to breakfast. Then usually one or the both of them would have a therapy lesson and they would meet for lunch again and lounge in the common room for the rest of the day before eating dinner and going to bed. Well these were the good days. On the bad days Harry would refuse to go to therapy and have a panic attack. On the bad days Draco would sit apathetically in the common room or his bed. On these days they usually ended up in bed together. Today was a bad day. When Harry met with Draco in the common room, Draco looked apathetic and didn’t respond to anything. At this point, Harry was used to it and knew how he could get Draco to eat or go to bed. At first Harry had been scared to death when these phases happened but after Mary and the other Nurses explained to him again and again that as long as Draco didn’t start cramping he would be fine, Harry had slowly remained more and more calm when these things happened. Right at this moment Harry slowly led Draco to the dining room. He sat him down on their usual table and tried to get Draco to eat his breakfast. Mary came around after some time and walked over to their table. “It’s a bad day hm?” She asked after looking at Draco and Harry’s feeble attempts to get him to eat. Harry nodded. “I can’t really get him to eat anything but what if he starts cramping again and he’s not strong enough to make it through because he didn’t eat. He didn’t eat much yesterday night either.” Harry looked worried between the still not reacting Draco and the thoughtful looking Mary. “You shouldn’t worry so much Harry. Everything will be fine. These cramps are really rare.” Mary tried to comfort him. Harry nodded slowly not really convinced. She smiled at him one last time and then went to the other side of the room to Olivia who said alone at a table. Harry stared after her for some time and then turned to Draco again. “Hey Draco...can you hear me? What are you staring at?” He asked him cautious. After so much time, that Harry looked on their plates disappointed, Dracos eyes twitched to Harry for a short time and then he stared straight ahead again. “Harry?” Harry looked up again, surprised. “Yes. I’m here Draco. What is it?” Draco slowly pointed his fingers at the empty chair opposite his. “He is following me around. He’s holding your...your head in his hands.” “It’s not my head. I’m okay. Look my head is on its neck.” Harry said and cautiously took Dracos Hand to put it on his shoulder. After a little moment Draco started to slide his hand up Harry’s neck and to his cheek. Harry shuddered. Draco’s hands must be cold. Draco stared straight ahead still unseeing but continued to grope Harry’s face like a blind person would. Harry noticed his face growing warm. He must be red like Ron’s hair by now. “It’s really you...but this head looks like yours.” Harry took Dracos Hand in his and put both of their hands on the table. “It’s not mine. Maybe it’s a fake head.” Harry offered an explanation. Draco slowly nodded and turned his head to look at Harry. “Come on. We should eat now Draco.” Harry said just a little hopeful. And to every nurses and healers surprise, Draco started eating. It was slow and he kept looking at the creature but he ate. Harry couldn’t believe his luck.   
...  
Well, Harry’s luck wasn’t there long. When he and Draco reached the common room Draco was gone again. But at least he ate something. Harry sat him down on the couch and then after a while considering sat down beside him. He grabbed Dracos arm and stayed like that, scared that something would happen, scared that Draco would cramp again. 

...  
A few days later the Weasleys came to visit again. Harry sat down in the visiting rooms and talked with Hermione, Ron and Arthur while again Ginny sat silent in a corner. “Harry I talked with some of the nurses and they said that we could take you out to the garden.” Hermione said after some time. Harry started smiling excitedly. The idea of going outside was pretty nice. He didn’t leave this building for over a month now. “That’s nice! I would love to go outside! But can I...can I take Draco with me? He wasn’t outside for much longer than me. I think he would love the idea of going to the garden.” Harry asked. Hermione smiled and nodded. “I don’t think that will be a problem. Speaking of Draco, I asked around the ministry but nobody really knew something about it. It seems that only some high Aurors know about this case. There’s something fishy going on.” Arthur explained. Harry nodded. “I already thought so.” He said. Everyone stood up and exited the room and Harry walked straight over to Draco’s bedroom. His family followed him. When Harry opened the door Draco was reading a book and he looked up surprise showing on his face. “Harry. What are you doing here? Are the Weasleys already gone?” He asked. Harry shook his head. “No they’re still here. We want to go in the garden...Do you...are you free...you want to come with us?” harry asked a little bit unsure. He didn’t know if Draco wanted to spend time with the Weasleys since the two families weren’t really on good terms in the past. But Draco smiled and nodded. He stood up and followed me out of the room again. Hermione and Arthur shortly but politely greeted him and even Ron nodded shortly. Ginny, like always, ignored everyone. Draco fell in step beside Harry and they entered the garden. Harry closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the sun and when he looked over to Draco he saw that he was doing the same. Harry started smiling. There was a warm feeling growing in his belly but he couldn’t really detect what it was so he brushed it aside. “Do you want to go look at the pond? You could see what’s in there and then you could stop worrying.” Harry asked Draco. Draco looked surprised for a second and then started smiling brightly before taking Harry’s arm and hurrying to the pond a few metres away. Ron, Arthur and Hermione went along and walked behind the two slowly. Harry and Draco stopped at the pond and Harry looked into it excited, what Draco would say was in there. Draco looked at something in the pond for a moment and then started to speak. “It’s just a Beetlepig...he just plays in the water. He’s not dangerous.” Draco seemed to breathe out. “What is a Beetlepig?” Hermione asked. “Mione! It’s a beetle and a pig! Isn’t that clear just by her name? ” Harry exclaimed in a good mood. And then Draco actually started laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry this chapter took so long but there is so much going on in my private life and on top of that I had a writers block. Anyway just enjoy the new Chapter! :) Also I changed the Pov I hope that is not the ending of the world :)


	6. Chapter 6

Harry didn’t hear Draco laugh again for some time after this. If he had known what would happen in the immediate future he would have savoured that moment even more than he already did.   
Draco still sat at the window and looked outside even though he said the Beetlepig did go away after their visit at the pond. Harry suspected that it was probably because he missed being outside although Draco never said anything like that. He didn’t know how many days it was later only that he started feeling claustrophobic in the tiny ward. He didn’t talk to anyone really except Mary, Draco, his therapist and maybe to a healer from time to time. Harry didn’t feel comfortable to talk to any of the other patients. They seemed nice enough but not really like people he could talk to. So he didn’t.   
Right now Harry came from an appointment with Dr. Grant and he was exhausted. All he wanted was to drink a cup of tea and then cuddle into the couch with Draco for the rest of the day. Maybe Draco would tell him some more stories about these strange things he could see. Last time Harry was this exhausted they lay on Draco’s bed and he started telling Harry about a Place called Ithersta. Draco said he was never there himself but a tree told him about it. They were wondrous stories. Harry thought about asking Draco about who told him about the Beetlepigs when he was thrown out of his thoughts by someone screaming and something shattering. As fast as he could he ran to the source of the noise. It was coming from the common room. Harry entered and his heart froze.   
Draco was standing in the room, tears running down his face. He had his hands at his ears and apparently tried to block something out. After this short moment of shock Harry could hear what Draco was saying, or rather muttering to himself. “I can’t take this anymore...Stop talking to me! I don’t want to hear your whispers anymore! I can’t do this anymore...can’t hear your whispers anymore...please stop whispering to me...” Several healers were already on their way over to Draco but the spells they were casting on him seemed to just make it worse. Draco struggled against them when they tried to pull him away or give him a potion or even just tried to touch him. Harry stood still frozen in the doorway. He thought Draco was doing better- he was in reality most of the time and didn’t seem delusional at all anymore. But now this was happening. Finally after what felt like an eternity Draco passed out and fell into the healers arms.  
They levitated him off to his room and it felt like a déjà vu to him when Mary asked Harry to go to his room to try and sleep. The way over to it felt like the walk to Voldemort at the final battle knowing he was going to die. Except this time it was not him in danger but Draco and Harry felt like the worry would tear him apart. Once Harry was in his room he started pacing around it. He couldn’t help it he had a really bad feeling. He couldn’t tell how much time has passed and right when he started getting tired outside there were loud noises. He was awake at once again. Something was definitely going on but apparently someone locked his door. Harry tried desperately and worried to death to hear what was going on through the door but it was impossible. People were talking over one another, trying not to wake the other patients but some seemed to be in a state of panic. And then one of the Healers silenced the others and Harry heard the dreadful words.

Draco tried to kill himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry it took so long so much happened in the last few months we had a family death, a divorce is incoming, we moved and my depression flared up heavily again, so heavy in fact that I couldn’t move out of bed for almost a month. Anyway I’m better now and I finally got around to continue to write this I hope you enjoy :)

“Like I explained the last time we saw each other Fran bow was a muggleborn witch whose parents died early due to accidental magic outburst. She had the ability to see into the five realms of reality which is a very rare skill not even trained unspeakables can master. The only people who can do it have the fran bow syndrome. It was named after her because her case was the first one documented. There is not much known about the syndrome since after Fran only 5 other people ever developed it. 3 of those died in the first few days of being sent to saint mungos due to false potion. It was simply not researched enough at that point. That means we only have one documented case of a young girl named Alice who didn’t even live a year with this syndrome because she died suddenly one night. You can call yourselves really lucky though as we have a recent case of the syndrome right here at the hospital. If you would follow me because he agreed to answer some questions for us.”

I heard healer Atkinson tell her current students through the door and took a steeling breath. Everything would be fine. My fingers stroked lightly over the bandage that covered my eyes. Everything was fine. The door opened. I heard people walking into the room footsteps too close together and muffled to count. “Hello Draco dear. Are you ready to answer some questions?” At my nod, she gave her students the okay to start. There was a shy pause but then the first questions came. “Draco...can we tell you Draco?” I nodded again. “Ok...Do you know how long you have the syndrome now? I thought only children got it.” “I don’t know it’s hard to recall anything from my childhood really. Up until I turned 11 everything’s blurry or black and then there is just school and the war.” I answered as best as i could. I could hear some of the students shift uncomfortably at the mention of the war but i didn’t really care. “...What creatures do you see? I mean when you can see.” “I see the Kamalas mostly. Itward comes sometimes but that’s a rare occasion. He is really busy these days.” “are they scary? Is it really that bad that you...tried to kill yourself?” You could practically feel the tension in the room. They were uncomfortable asking things like this. “I didn’t really try to kill myself I just...needed a moment of silence...of not seeing them...” I tried to explain. “They are not scary anymore but it’s horrible seeing them knowing people don’t believe you because they can’t see these things. They can’t even imagine what it’s like and that means they can’t feel real empathy. It’s...bone crushing...but I can live with it most of the time.” “Does Itward talk about the other realms? Can you go there? Do you...know Fran?”   
aah there were the questions I was waiting for. “Itward always just tries to cheer me up. I think I could go there but I never tried. I’m scared that I can’t come back when I do. As for the question you all been waiting for...Yes I do know Fran. She is actually living in Ithersta since she died in our realm she can’t come back but I doubt she would want to. She’s happy there.” I played with my fingers while answering the questions just to have something to do and to distract me from the fact that I still couldn’t see anything. Even though I saw it as an escape at the time but now it was getting rather annoying. Especially annoying was the fact that I couldn’t see exactly where the creatures where. That was terrifying. Only the thought that they could stand right beside you and you wouldn’t notice it let a shudder run right down my back.   
“I think these were enough questions for today. Draco must still be exhausted. I want you to write an essay about the things Draco told you and your theories on how the syndrome works. Also you may include your thoughts on how to deal with the syndrome and maybe even how to heal it.” Then Draco heard footsteps shuffle out of his bedroom again and then there was silence. Finally I was alone. Now after a whole week he could see Harry again.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry entered the room feeling dread and excitement fight inside him. He could see Draco again. With hurried steps Harry storms into Dracos room and then comes to an abrupt stand when he sees Draco again. He looks….for a lack of a nicer word horrible. His hair is tousled too much as if he recently pushed his hand through it. He looks deadly white battling the bed sheets. His wrists and hands laying on the sheets in his lap are even more thinner than before. But the worst thing...The thing he has dreaded the most is the bandage over his eyes. It was recently changed so its cleanly white but it takes away his most lively feature. He looks like a doll propped on a bed and left there forgotten.  
This is wrong. He promised to help him and all he has been doing since was moping around in his own worthless misery. This needs to stop. As soon as he can he will ask his therapist about it. “Harry?” A small voice asks unsure. Harry snaps out of his thoughts. He will push them aside for now but they fill him with determination. Draco needs him. “Yes...its me.” He approaches cautiously as to not startle the temporarily blind Draco. There is a long tense but not really uncomfortable silence between the boys. They are both lost in their thoughts for a few moments. Then they start talking at the same time.  
“Why did you-?” “How are you-?” They stop for a second unsure. In the end Harry slips on the bed to sit beside Draco and slowly takes one of his hands in his to caress it. “Go first…” He mumbles silently. Draco takes a little breath and then starts again. “I just wanted to ask you how you are doing...I mean now that im not with you everyday anymore. Well cant be.” Harry starts smiling, surprised. “You're the one who tried to kill himself and you're worried about me?”  
Somehow the thought amuses Harry even though he probably shouldn't be amused in a situation like this. “I...I didn’t try to kill myself! Well at least not intentionally...I just tried to...I just didn’t want to see them anymore...I...the Kamala was...it was whispering to me again, standing right behind me the whole day and it...I think it drove me crazy. Its gone now though. At least for the moment.”  
Harry nods slowly and after a few moments he realizes that Draco cant see that and is still waiting for an answer so he clears his throat a little bit embarrassed and then answers: “Its good that its gone now. I mean it should stay away from you when it does these things to you. Cant you...I don’t know tell it to go away?” Draco snorts and Harry feels even more embarrassed.

“I already tried that Harry...But the Kamalas are always with you...Everyone has one. I think they are the manifestation of you're bad feelings, the things you are ashamed of and the sins you commited as well as the trauma that you endured. It will always come back to me because it belongs to me. You have one too.” Harry thinks about that for a few moments. Draco lets him think without interrupting the silence. “Can you hear mine talking…?” He asks cautiously not sure if he wants to know the answer. “Yeah I can hear it muttering…but I can understand them clearer when I can see and confront them. You have to wait until I see again I think Harry. Im sorry.” Draco sounds genuinely sad that he cant help and Harry immediately wants to make him feel better again. In that exact moment he notices that he is still loosely holding Dracos Hand and even though he can feel his cheeks reddening and getting hot he starts caressing it and holding it a little tighter to himself again. Draco smiles softly and his head sinks against the headboard of the bed, clearly relaxing again and cheering up. Just as Harry opened his mouth to say something a nurse comes in. “Ah here you are Harry. Your appointment is now. Would you go to the office? I will take care of Draco in the meantime okay?” Tentatively Harry nods and then slowly gets up off the bed and lets Dracos hand slip softly on his lap again. “I will come by later so we can eat dinner together okay?” Only after Draco nodded in his direction and flashed him a good bye smile does Harry leave the room and head to his talking session. 

„It´s not that easy. You need to find out the source of the syndrome. The thing that set it going.” “but how...how do I do that?” Harry asks unsure of himself. He doesn’t know if he will be able to do it. But he promised. He promised Draco. And he wants to help him. He really does. Because he likes Draco. The thought strucks him just like that. Its just a tiny little thought in a wave full of thoughts but it stucks out like thunder. He. Likes. Draco. Not just likes him. He really likes him. Probably more than he should. He stores that thought away until he has time to think about it properly. “The syndrome must have developed in Dracos childhood due to a traumatic event. So we need to find out what exactly happened to him and then we need to find out the harder part of finding out why the syndrome hasnt shown itself until after puberty. Its something ive never seen before. The usual course of the syndrome is that the child experiences something traumatic and it opens their eyes to the five dimensions letting it developing the syndrome to protect their mind. The child usually then dies of suicide or because of some weird accidents either due to their own magical outbursts or things that don’t really seem to be their doing. Other patients told us that sometimes creatures called kamalas try to kill them and sometimes they succeed.” Harry swallows. That sounds so horrible. Even more horrible than his own childhood. “But...what horrendous thing has to happen that triggers the syndrome?” Harry is trying really hard to not think about it. He just hopes what he fears is not true. “Well...its mostly triggered by severe abuse cases be it physical or psychological. But sometimes...sometimes its sexual assault too. Lets just hope for the best harry and concentrate on you for now okay?” Harry feels tears prickle behind his eyes but he wont let him come. She is right. Just hope for the best. Lucius would never do such a thing right? And Narcissa would never let something like this happen to her only son right? ….

Right? 

Harry nods slowly not able to talk, afraid that his thoughts will slip out and with them the tears. 

Only later after he leaves his session and is on his way to Draco to eat with him does the thought struck him. Dracos Kamala could help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally did it! After a huge writing block I wrote this chapter in one whole go! :) Next thing in the morning (since its currently 3 am and i wrote this chapter in 2 hours...) i am gonna continue writing because i have a little special idea of writing a day of Dracos Childhood. With Itward of course ;) Also theres an undertale easter egg in this chapter because my friends got me into it recently (thanks i guess...) Anyway enjoy this Chapter and leave a comment because I love to read them! :)


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